And the Moon Hid Her Face
by TheOnlyTrueMagic
Summary: Albus and Gellert take a walk on the beach.


**Disclaimer****: I don't own it, and I am making no money off of it. Please don't sue me.**

**AN****: This story is AU and EWE. Albus, Gellert, and Severus did not die. Since canon is not clear on Nurmengard's exact location, I have placed it in Germany which is why Gellert curses in German. **

Albus and Gellert went for a walk on the beach. They were barefoot and wore only trousers and shirts. It was after midnight and long past the time that Headmaster Albus Dumbledore would normally have been asleep.

But Albus wasn't a headmaster anymore, and the beach where they were walking was far from Hogwarts. This was the beach that led up to the little cottage that Albus had bought several months ago, the cottage he had bought when Germany had approved the request that Minister Shacklebolt had submitted on Albus's behalf to transfer Gellert Grindelwald from Nurmengard to Albus's guardianship.

Albus had never visited Gellert in prison, never once in all the years since their battle. But seeing Severus Snape and Harry Potter finally beginning to work toward forgiveness had made him rethink that choice. He had never expected that he would have the time to make another choice. Now, he did.

This time, he chose Gellert.

The many decades of imprisonment in deplorable conditions and total solitary confinement had taken its toll on his once proud friend. Physically, he was stable, but he would never be healthy again. Albus ran his house elves ragged (though they didn't mind) trying to find delicacies to tempt Gellert's poor appetite. His magic was weak. He couldn't manage more than simple household charms or harmless first-year spells. Gellert's old wand had been snapped long ago, and while the new wand that the Ministry had allowed him to get from Ollivander was a good match, it just didn't have much magic to work with anymore.

Albus saw it as a sign as to how much Gellert had changed that the man didn't seem to mind his lack of magic.

In those first weeks, Gellert hardly spoke except to voice his needs, and Albus wisely didn't push him to talk. In time, he did begin to make conversation of a sort, quiet, inconsequential murmurings about the weather and the area surrounding the cottage. Albus wasn't entirely sure that Gellert even retained his memories, and this time, he made no attempt to read his friend's mind.

It cut Albus deeply to look into those familiar blue eyes and see so little awareness in them of the magical genius Gellert had been or the beloved friend who had so thoroughly ensnared Albus that he had very nearly followed him all the way down. But Albus rebuked himself sternly. He had Gellert with him, after all. And if anyone living at that moment deserved punishment that they had not gotten, it was most certainly Albus. The world had been saved, but the price of it had been precious and would be paid in guilt the rest of his life.

But he wasn't thinking about that now. He was thinking about Gellert walking slowly and carefully beside him on the moonlit sand. Gellert stumbled suddenly, having refused to use a cane, and Albus slipped his hand into his friend's hand, unobtrusively steadying him. Even after he stopped shaking, Gellert did not let go.

They walked on, crossing the beach and listening to the soft slap of the water against the sand. The moon was full tonight, and Albus watched the slight breeze tousle Gellert's white hair around his gaunt face. They had been handsome once, the two of them. Albus had always thought Gellert the most handsome man who ever lived and, and even now, he still believed it.

"It is beautiful tonight." Gellert's comment startled Albus out of his musings.

"It is very beautiful." He paused and asked quietly, "Do you like it here?"

Gellert turned his head. Albus saw a smile he'd thought gone forever creeping onto his friend's face.

"I do. It is very quiet though. That is nice, but it doesn't seem like you. You were always the loud one, always playing pranks and doing silly things." Gellert's blue eyes sparkled.

Albus smiled back. "You remember that?"

Gellert chuckled, a rougher sound than it used to be, but it was sweeter than phoenix song to Albus's ears.

"I remember. You always made me laugh." He paused, and there was wistfulness in his eyes. "Where did that boy go, Albus?"

Albus swallowed around a lump in his throat. "He's still here, Gellert, right where you left him. Care-worn and so very weary but…he's still here."

Gellert squeezed his hand. "Show me?"

Albus tried to summon an argument, but Gellert, even after all this time, could read him so easily.

"I'm not going to break, Albus." He sighed. "At least, not tonight."

Albus gave in. "Very well. But you must close your eyes." When those blue eyes were shut, Albus drew his wand and cast a levitation spell, lifting the two of them, still holding hands, and depositing them gently in knee-deep sea water.

Albus chuckled as Gellert cursed in German. His friend's eyes flew open as he gasped at the chill of the water now soaking their trousers.

"Merlin, Albus, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind!" Albus's chuckle turned to outright laughter at the attempted outrage on the other man's face.

"You wanted to play," Albus reminded him gently.

Finally, Gellert chuckled himself and took out his wand. Maybe he couldn't do much magic anymore, but this much, he could do.

It was Albus's turn to pretend outrage when the flick of a wand and a simple spell sent water splashing over him. Albus sputtered, shoving wet hair out of his face. They were old now…far too old to be engaging in such foolishness. But when had he ever let that stop him? And clearly, Gellert was not quite as fragile as Albus had thought.

Albus drew his wand.

A quarter of an hour later, they were both soaked to the skin and laughing so hard that Albus decided sitting down might be a good idea. He helped Gellert and then eased himself down beside him. Albus was surprised, however, when his friend reached out carefully and slipped one thin arm around him, gently tugging him closer. He allowed it at first but resisted when it became clear that Gellert was trying to shift them into a far more intimate embrace.

Albus tried to protest. "Gellert, you can't possibly want this. You didn't want this before."

"Have you thought to ask me what I want, Albus?" His blue eyes shimmered with what might have been tears. "Have you thought that maybe, at the end of my life, I am lonely? Have you thought that maybe I want one more chance with the man who still loves me?" He took a breath, tracing his fingers down Albus's wet face. "Have you thought that maybe you are not the only one who wants to be loved?"

Albus found himself beyond words. But he carefully shifted his friend more or less into his lap. They were no longer beautiful together, but there was comfort and pleasure made all the sweeter for its necessary gentleness.

And the moon hid her face behind a cloud, giving two old souls one final taste of innocence.


End file.
